CHURCHES.

A chapel at Worthing was recorded
in 1291, (fn. 1) and in 1410 was being used for mass. (fn. 2)
Two chaplains, possibly of Worthing chapel,
occurred in the early 15th century. (fn. 3) The chapel
still existed in the early 16th century, (fn. 4) but by 1575
was in private hands. (fn. 5) It had been demolished by
1635 when the rector of Broadwater claimed its
site as part of the endowment of Broadwater
church. (fn. 6) That site is unknown; the identification
with Vicarage Garden, north of North Street, is
doubtful. (fn. 7)

After at least two unsuccessful attempts to build a
chapel of ease to Broadwater (fn. 8) an Act of 1809
appointed trustees, including the rector of Broadwater, to build one. The rector was empowered to
nominate a curate, but no marriages or burials were
to be performed in the chapel. (fn. 9) The building, in
Chapel Road, was consecrated in 1812, (fn. 10) but it
remained a chapel of ease until 1894 when a parish
was formed out of Broadwater and St. George's
parishes. (fn. 11) The benefice was called a perpetual
curacy until c. 1902 and thereafter a vicarage. (fn. 12) In
1898 its patronage was transferred from the rector
of Broadwater to trustees, (fn. 13) with whom it remained
in 1978. (fn. 14)

The chapel was built by subscriptions, and money
was raised to maintain it and to pay the incumbent
by the sale or leasing of pews and by a rate levied on
the pews' proprietors. (fn. 15) In 1813 most of the
proprietors were those who let lodgings and
furnished houses. (fn. 16) The pews were freely bought
and sold (fn. 17) until the 1880s when many were redeemed
and presented to the diocese. (fn. 18) The rector of
Broadwater provided a house for the incumbent by
1853. (fn. 19) A vicarage in Ambrose Place had been
acquired by 1905. (fn. 20) The Good Shepherd mission
room in Gordon Road was licensed for worship in
1908. (fn. 21) It had been closed by 1972. (fn. 22)

The chapel, later church, of ST. PAUL(fn. 23) was
designed by J. B. Rebecca, and the interior was
finished by Edward Hide of Worthing. (fn. 24) It is of
brick, partly stuccoed, having a Doric portico with
four columns at the east end, with a bell-cupola
behind it. As originally built the chancel was at the
east end and there were galleries on all sides. (fn. 25)
There was a vestry by 1824. The chapel was
reconstructed in 1893 when an Italianate chancel
was added at the west end. (fn. 26) A new vestry had been
added by 1903. (fn. 27) The rector of Broadwater gave the
plate, of silver, in 1812 and his wife gave a piece in
1820; (fn. 28) Edward Ogle gave the first organ. (fn. 29) In 1894
the dean and chapter of Chichester presented a
font, probably 15th-century, from the cathedral. (fn. 30)

CHRIST CHURCH and its burial ground
between Grafton and Portland roads were consecrated in 1843, (fn. 31) mainly to supply the want of
church accommodation for the poor. (fn. 32) The church
was at first regarded as a chapel of ease to Broadwater, (fn. 33) whose rector in 1849 required the officiating
minister to take the town under his spiritual care.
The rector of Broadwater remained the patron in
1974. (fn. 34) A parish was assigned out of Broadwater in
1855, (fn. 35) and a perpetual curate licensed. (fn. 36) The cure
became a vicarage in 1868. (fn. 37) With help from Queen
Anne's Bounty a house for the incumbent was built
in Westbrooke by 1859. (fn. 38) In 1975 the vicarage was
in Shakespeare Road. (fn. 39)

In 1851 c. 380 attended the morning and evening
services. (fn. 40) In 1865 400 sittings were ordinarily let
besides 42 seats in the chancel at the height of the
season. (fn. 41) In 1884 there were two Sunday services
and an afternoon service for the children, but the
congregation had been reduced, partly by the
building of Holy Trinity church. (fn. 42) In 1976 the
church was described as the parish church of
Worthing. (fn. 43) A mission hall holding 100 was
recorded in 1903, (fn. 44) and services were held there
thrice weekly in 1910. (fn. 45)

Christ Church was built by subscription between
1840 (fn. 46) and 1843. (fn. 47) The original design by John
Elliott of Chichester was apparently altered by the
curate of St. Paul's, as a result of strong criticism
by the Cambridge Camden Society, and there were
disputes between Elliott, the curate, and the rector
of Broadwater (fn. 48) who had given the site. (fn. 49) The
church, the first example of the Gothic Revival in
Worthing, (fn. 50) is of flint with brick dressings, and
originally consisted of a chancel, aisled nave,
transepts, west tower, and vestry. (fn. 51) Galleries were
built in the transepts in 1865-6, (fn. 52) and the church
was restored and improved in 1876. (fn. 53) In 1894 the
chancel arch was re-designed and other alterations
were made. (fn. 54) The church was again restored in
1908. (fn. 55)

The church of ST. GEORGE, off Church Walk,
was consecrated in 1868, (fn. 56) and a district assigned to
it from Broadwater. (fn. 57) The patronage of the vicarage
was sold in 1903 by the rector of Broadwater to the
Patronage Trust of the National Protestant Church
Union, (fn. 58) later merged in the Church Society, which
held it in 1976. (fn. 59) A vicarage house recorded c. 1876 (fn. 60)
had been lost by 1884, (fn. 61) but a new vicarage was
provided in Selden Road before 1907. (fn. 62)

In 1884 St. George's had two Sunday services and
a monthly children's service, afternoon communion,
and regular baptisms. (fn. 63) Communion was celebrated
thrice monthly in 1903. (fn. 64) The church remained
largely isolated until the development of the
surrounding area for building was completed in the
20th century. (fn. 65) A mission room opened in Newland
Road in 1883 (fn. 66) was recorded until c. 1925. Another
mission room in Ham Road was recorded from
c. 1891 to 1910. (fn. 67) The Emmanuel mission church in
Brougham Road was licensed in 1911 (fn. 68) and became
a church hall in 1976, when the new Emmanuel
church was dedicated next to it. (fn. 69)

St. George's church was built to the design of
George Truefitt, (fn. 70) and is of stone. (fn. 71) At first it
comprised an apsidal chancel and nave, on a northsouth axis, and a bell-turret. (fn. 72) A new vestry and two
new porches were added in 1875, (fn. 73) and a transept
had been added by 1884. (fn. 74)

The Gratwicke estate was developed from 1877,
and HOLY TRINITY church, Shelley Road, was
consecrated in 1883 to serve it. (fn. 75) In 1884 a parish
was formed from Broadwater and Christ Church
parishes. (fn. 76) The vicarage has remained in the
patronage of trustees, (fn. 77) two of the original trustees
being the rector of Broadwater and the vicar of
Christ Church. (fn. 78) In 1884 there was a temporary
vicarage house in Shelley Road, (fn. 79) where a permanent
one was built in 1898. (fn. 80)

There were two Sunday services in 1884. (fn. 81) A
mission room in Anglesea Street licensed for
worship in that year (fn. 82) was recorded until the 1930s. (fn. 83)
St. Matthew's church in Tarring Road was built as a
chapel of ease to Holy Trinity in 1899 from designs
by R. S. Hyde of Worthing, (fn. 84) and a south aisle and
vestries were added in 1911. (fn. 85)

The church of Holy Trinity, of red brick in
Gothic style, originally consisted of chancel, nave,
and aisles, with an organ chamber and north porch.
A tower with spire was built in 1888, in which eight
tubular bells were hung in 1889, (fn. 86) and a new vestry
was built in 1894. (fn. 87) The 17th-century pulpit from
Broadwater church was installed in 1883. (fn. 88)

After about six years of dispute and controversy
with the rector of Broadwater and the vicars of
Christ Church and Holy Trinity, the promoters of
High Church worship in Worthing triumphed (fn. 89)
when the church of ST. ANDREW, Clifton Road,
near the recently developed Oxford and Cambridge
roads, was consecrated in 1888. (fn. 90) A parish was
formed out of Broadwater, Christ Church, and
Holy Trinity parishes. (fn. 91) The patronage of the
vicarage was assigned to George Wedd of Charmandean, one of the chief promoters of the church, for
the first turn and afterwards to Keble College,
Oxford, (fn. 92) with which it remained in 1976. (fn. 93) The
vicarage was endowed by Wedd, and augmented by
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1888. (fn. 94) After a
number of moves a new vicarage was built in
Victoria Road in 1924. (fn. 95) The church has always
retained its High Church character, (fn. 96) its congregation including many non-parishioners. (fn. 97) A
mission room in Victoria Road was recorded
c. 1900. (fn. 98)

The church of St. Andrew was built in 1886, (fn. 99) to
the design of Sir A. W. Blomfield, (fn. 100) mainly at the
expense of George Wedd who also gave the site. (fn. 101)
Its consecration was delayed until 1888 largely
because of the opposition of the vicar of Holy
Trinity. (fn. 102) It is of flint and stone in Gothic style and
consists of a nave with baptistry, aisles, transepts,
and a chancel with a Lady Chapel, sacristy, and
vestry. A choir vestry was added in 1908. In 1978
the church had many elaborate fittings, including
altars, a rood screen, and a reredos designed by
C. E. Kempe. (fn. 103)